Luke 12:35-48 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Be in Readiness

35 “[a]Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.38 Whether he comes in the [b]second watch, or even in the [c]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39 “But [d]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be [e]broken into.40 You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not [f]expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his [g]servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?43 Blessed is that slave whom his [h]master finds so doing when he comes.44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master [i]will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of [j]a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.